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Title:
HEALTH CONSIDERATIONS FOR WORKERS EXPOSED TO PLUTONIUM
Author(s):
VOELZ, G L [LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY]
Subject Terms:
HREX; HEALTH HAZARDS; OCCUPATIONAL WORKERS; PERSONNEL; PLUTONIUM; RADIATION DOSES; RADIATION PROTECTION
Document Location:
Location - DOE/NNSA NUCLEAR TESTING ARCHIVE Address - P.O. Box 98521 City - Las Vegas State - NV Zip - 89193-8521 Phone - (702)794-5106 Fax - (702)862-4240 Email - NTA@NV.DOE.GOV
Document Type:
JOURNAL ARTICLE
Publication Date:
Declassification Status:
Never classified
Document Pages:
0014
Accession Number:
NV0701409
OpenNet Entry Date:
1994 Aug 27
OpenNet Modified Date:
2017 Dec 21
Description/Abstract:
IMPLICATIONS OF PLUTONIUM ON THE HEALTH OF WORKERS IS DISCUSSED IN THIS ARTICLE. THE INFORMATION CAME FROM THE LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY. A STUDY OF 26 WORKERS WHO WERE INVOLVED IN THE CREATION OF THE FIRST ATOMIC BOMB DURING 1944-1945 AND A STUDY OF WORKERS FROM THE ROCKY FLATS REVEALS DATA ON THE INDIVIDUALS. MORTALITY RATES, AND CANCER PROGRESSION IN THE BONES, LUNGS, AND LIVER WERE EXAMINED. GENERALLY, THE MORTALITY RATES FROM ALL CAUSES OF DEATH AND FROM ALL CANCERS COMBINED HAVE NOT BEEN ELEVATED IN PU WORKERS. AN EXCEPTION TO THIS WAS OBSERVED FOR THE ALL-CAUSES MORTALITY RATE OF PU WORKERS AT THE ROCKY FLATS PLANT, WHICH WAS SIGNIFICANTLY ELEVATED COMPARED TO THE RATE AMONG UNEXPOSED WORKERS WHEN CANCER INDUCTION TIMES OF 5 YEARS OR LONGER WERE USED. AN ELEVATED RATE OF BLOCK BLOOD CELL NEOPLASMS (FOUR CASES IN PU-EXPOSED WORKERS AT ROCKY FLATS) AND ONE CASE OF OSTEOGENIC SARCOMA OBSERVED IN 26 MANHATTAN PROJECT PU-EXPOSED WORKERS.